There are many different theories behind morals. Are children born with a blank slate, or are they a “first draft?” Do they already have morals which they revise as they grow older? There are plenty of ideas as to how morals come about, but a bigger question is the role they play in our everyday life.

One of the largest separations we have in our society is political parties: Democrats (the liberals) and Republicans (the conservatives). Liberals are high on a scale of openness about experience. Conservatives are low on said scale. The lack of moral diversity results in less progress. Liberals speak for the weak and oppressed and want change even at the risk of chaos; conservatives speak for institutions and tradition, they want stability even at the cost of the people at the bottom.  

Could there possibly be a scientific explanation for morality? Oxytocin is a molecule produced in the brain and in the blood. The more oxytocin in a person’s blood, the more willing a person is to donate money. The levels of oxytocin are also directly related to the empathy a person has. It is empathy that makes us moral. Therefore, the molecule oxytocin is the molecule of morality. The flow of this molecule can be increased through emotional experiences such as romance.

Is this connection to morality valid? Which theory is correct? How have humans developed their morality?